More detail on this person: Brown, George A.
Our beloved father, grandfather and family
patriarch, George A. Brown, of Chandler, passed
peacefully from this earth on Saturday, September
20, 2014 in his home. Colonel Brown was born
March 23, 1932, the second son of Gilbert and
Rose (Palmisano) Brown. The son of a police
officer, raised and educated in Champaign, IL, he
graduated from Champaign Central High School,
Class of 1950. He attended the University of
Illinois on a football scholarship, where he
subsequently joined ROTC and became the
Commandant of over 2,000 Pershing Rifles
members. While there, he met and married his wife
and sweetheart Marlyn (Ebert) Brown (of Valmeyer,
Il.). Upon graduation, he was commissioned a
Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.
The "Colonel" had a long and distinguished thirty
year active duty career in the U.S. Army. He
served two tours in the Vietnam War with combat
missions. He was a Master Army Aviator, and a
command pilot of the twin engine Caribou aircraft
and the UH-1 helicopter, two of the many aircraft
he was qualified to fly. His many contributions
to the armed services also included Commander,
42nd Transportation Battalion, Ft. Meade, MD, and
Brigade Commander of the 37th
Transportation Group, Kaiserslautern, Germany. He
was a graduate of both the Air War College and the
Army War College. His many medals included two
Legions of Merit and three Bronze Stars. After
enjoying 30 years of travel and military life
together, he and his wife retired in Chandler, AZ.
There he served in several volunteer positions
including six years on the City of Chandler
Airport Commission during important airport
expansion years and several years as the president
of the Andersen Springs Community Association.
God and Country were his guideposts, with his
life's passions being his family, flying,
woodworking and storytelling! He was known for his
wisdom, strength, generosity, and love. He was
predeceased by his loving wife of 49 years. Their
marriage resulted in four children who have all
survived him, including Rebecca (Brown) Groves
and husband John of Chandler, AZ; Sheryl Brown
Ellenberger and husband Rick of Champaign, IL;
Clayton Brown and wife Desiree (Rigabar) of
Alexandria, VA; and Kimberly (Brown) Burch and
husband Todd of Hoopeston, IL. He is also survived
by eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren,
and brothers Brigadier General (Retired) Stanford
Brown of Riverside, CA and Thomas Brown of
Bloomington, IN. Visitation will be held on
Friday, September 26, 2014 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
at Queen of Heaven Catholic Mortuary, 1562 E.
Baseline Rd., Mesa, AZ with Mass of Christian
Burial to be at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic
Church 3450 W. Ray Rd., Chandler, AZ 85226 at
11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 27, 2014.
Interment will follow at Queen of Heaven Catholic
Cemetery in Mesa, AZ. Our father will always and
forever be the Wind Beneath our Wings. Memories
and condolences may be made by visiting the
online obituary guest book at
www.obits.azcentral.com. Arrangements entrusted
to Queen of Heaven Catholic Mortuary, Mesa, AZ.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023
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